English grammar practice exercise, for pre-intermediate and intermediate level.
In this exercise you will practise the past simple tense.
Instructions: Use the words in brackets to complete each of the following. All the sentences are in the past simple:
| Structure of past simple | ||
| positive | negative | question |
|
I arrived yesterday. You arrived yesterday. He/she/it arrived. We arrived. They arrived. |
I didn't (did not) arrive. You didn't (did not) arrive. He/she/it didn't arrive. We didn't arrive. They didn't arrive. |
Did I arrive yesterday? Did you arrive? Did he/she/it arrive? Did we arrive? Did they arrive? |
| Past simple - common mistakes | ||
| Common mistakes | Correct version | Why? |
|
|
I worked in London. | In positive sentences, a helping verb such as 'was' or 'did' is not used. |
|
|
Did he work in London? | The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions. |
|
|
Did he work in London? | The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions. |
|
|
Did he write a letter? | The main verb is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives. |
|
|
He didn't write a letter. | The main verb is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives. |
